09.13.2007 — According to authors Joe Pine and James Gilmore in their seminal book, The Experience Economy, the most effective customer experiences include four important elements: entertainment, education, escapism and aesthetics.

To help you design richer experiences for your customer, incorporating all four of these elements, try asking yourself the following questions:

What can be done to improve the aesthetics of the experience? The aesthetics are what make your customers want to come in, sit down and hang out. What can you do to make your show room more inviting, interesting or comfortable?

Once there, what should your guests do? The escapist element of an experience draws your customers further in, immersing them in the demo as they hold the remote control and make choices along the way.

What do you want your customers to learn about you, your services and your products? What kinds of activities or demonstrations can involve them in the learning process and help them to understand differences in loudspeakers, gear and smart home technologies?

What can you do to make your customers' interaction with your company and your showroom more fun and enjoyable? How can you provide a more entertaining and dramatic demo or experience at every customer touch point?

If you are a custom retailer with a multiple showroom space, imagine how much fun it would be for customers and salespeople if every stop on your store tour incorporated elements of entertainment, education, escapism and aesthetics?